If you’ve been reading ELR for a little while, you know my plight with making mashed potatoes. But I’m proud to say I kept at it and developed a mashed-potato-idiot-proof recipe that not only tastes amazing on it’s own but when paired with mushroom gravy, is knock your socks off fabulous!

Wanna know a dirty secret? I think I might like mushroom gravy more than sausage gravy. It’s true! And I feel so healthy eating it because it’s, well, a vegetable and all.

And guess what? Potatoes are vegetables, too! Double the veggies, double the love.

The mushroom gravy isn’t only great on mashed potatoes though. No, definitely don’t stop there! I also recommend smothering it on buttermilk biscuits and burgers. It’s great for our vegetarian friends and can easily be made vegan without the cream.

Peel and slice the potatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender, about thirty minutes. Drain and then place the potatoes back into the pot and mash with a potato masher or large fork. Add the softened butter, milk, salt and pepper and continue mashing until smooth. Place in an ovenproof dish and keep warm in the oven until ready to eat.

Heat the tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallot and cook until tender, then add the mushrooms and continue cooking until soft and juicy. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, dried thyme and flour and toss to coat well.

Cook for another four minutes, stirring constantly. Then, slowly pour in the stock and whisk over medium heat until thickened (about three minutes). Add cream and additional salt to taste. Serve warm over the potatoes.

I love that this reminds me of my childhood (mashed taters), but also takes it up a level with the grown-up mushroom gravy! Or, at least I never would have eaten mushrooms as a kid, so it’s grown-up to me

wow that looks really delicious! I love mushroom sauces….especially chicken marsala with mushrooms! Yum! But this sauce looks just as good…I’ll have to try it over my favorite type of mashed potatoes….baby reds with the skin on!

if you’re battling paste-ish potatoes, if you beat/mash russet potatoes too long, they will get paste-y. if, however, you use yukon golds instead, you can beat them until the end of time and they will stay creamy and not get paste-y. i have made too many batches of paste-y russets and only go gold these days.

I’ve mastered the perfect mashed potatoes. The last batch didn’t even make it on to a plate, I just ate them from the bowl. With a wooden spoon.

I peel and boil however many potatoes I need and then add marg or butter 1T at a time until I get the desired texture. It usually takes 2-3T. Season with salt and pepper. No milk, it makes them too runny!